


Saying Goodbye

by mrs_captain_rogers



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Bitty has to say goodbye, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minor Character Death, Rare Pair, bittyholtz
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-15
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2019-03-05 09:36:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13385067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrs_captain_rogers/pseuds/mrs_captain_rogers
Summary: Bitty gets a phone call that rattles him to his very soul and he's forced to say goodbye.





	Saying Goodbye

**Author's Note:**

> I'll warn you now this one is sad... get the tissues now. 
> 
> This was inspired by a prompt given by a friend. "I haven't slept in four days." ship: bittyholtz

It had hit like a bolt of lightning, out of the blue. Bitty had been in English when it happened and was in the gym with the team when he got the call. The shock had caused him to stop running, the treadmill practically throwing him and he tumbled to his knees. Chowder was the first one to him.   
“Bitty, Bitty are you alright?” The blond boy looked at his goalie, his brown eyes glazed over. Several of the team had gathered around them.   
“What happened? Is he alright?” Ransom pushed through the group. “Bitty, what happened, talk to us.” Bitty tore his eyes away from Chowder and looked around at them. 

“She’s not gonna make it through the night…” His voice was brittle and tears pooled in his dark eyes. Holster knelt and took his boyfriend’s hand in his own. 

“Who Bits?” 

“Moomaw.”

Bitty was on the late flight out that night with just a carry on and Senor Bun tucked gently in his jacket. Holster had seen him off at security with a tight bearhug only the large D-man could give and a gentle reassuring kiss only his boyfriend could give. The plane was half empty, unsurprisingly at the late hour, and most of the other passengers slept or read. Bitty, however, couldn’t settle enough to read or relax enough to sleep. His fingers twitched nervously in his lap as the flight attendant came by. She was a kind looking woman with soft grey eyes and a warm smile. 

“First time flying honey?” Bitty looked up, his eyes puffy and ringed red from crying. 

“No ma’am, just ready to get home.” She patted his shoulder gently sensing his pain and offered him a soda or coffee. Bitty declined, too jittery to take any caffeine. The plane touched down at quarter after eleven to heavy rain and it took Bitty nearly another hour to arrive at his mother’s living room. He knew he was wasting time, that he should have gone right to the hospital but he couldn’t face his family, not yet. He dropped his bag on his bed, the room nearly the same as he’d left it. He took care to place Senor bun in his usual place propped against Bitty’s pillow. 

Twenty minutes later Bity found himself standing at the nurses’ station asking after his Moomaw. His mom caught sight of him and hurried over. “oh Dicky, I’m so happy you’re here.” She threw her arms around his neck. The tears he’d been fighting all day finally welled over and spilled down his cheeks. “Mama am I too late?” he whispered. Susanne pulled back from her son’s embrace. 

“She’s hanging on, you know she’s always been a fighter.” She led him down to the room nearest the large window at the end of the hall. “It was a heart attack, a big one, completely out of nowhere.” She’d always managed to answer his questions even without him having to ask them. The pair entered the dimly lit room where Coach sat by the bed that held Bitty’s moomaw. She was smaller than he’d ever seen her, her skin pale and her breathing weak. 

“Hello Moomaw,” Bitty whispered as he approached the bedside. Her eyes slowly opened and a warm smile spread across her tired face. “I came as soon as I could, Moomaw.” Her hand slid over and took his.   
“Eric,” she whispered. Clearing her through she moved to sit up a little better. 

“Mama, don’t, just rest,” Susanne said from her place by her husband. 

“Out, all of you, I need a moment with my grandson,” she ordered before coughing. 

Coach and Susanne slipped out to get coffee allowing Bitty and Moomaw a few minutes alone. Bitty held his grandmother’s hand as he perched on the beside. For a moment, she just looked at him taking him. “You’ve grown so much since you went away to school. You’ve found yourself my Dicky and I know you’ve found love. I can see it on your face.” Red crept into Bitty’s tanned cheeks but he looked away. “He’s a lucky young man and I will haunt his ass if he ever hurts you.” The blond boy gasped and turned to look at her smirking face. 

“You knew?” 

“Dicky, my sweet boy, of course I knew. Your old Moomaw isn’t as oblivious as your silly mama and Coach. Now promise me you will tell them soon. They love you and we all just want you to be happy, as do I.” A cough wracked her frame and her breathing slowed once again to a bare rasp. 

“I promise Moomaw, I’ll tell them real soon...” Tears welled in his eyes, spilling down his already tear stained cheeks. “Moomaw, I love you,” he whispered as he hugged her. “Don’t leave me.” 

“You’re so strong, Dicky, you don’t need me anymore.” An alarm began to ring on the heart monitor and people flooded into the room, doctors and nurses, as well as Coach and Susanne. Somewhere in the madness Bitty and his parents were forced from the room. After a few minutes, a doctor emerged from the room, his shoulders slumped in defeat. The three of them rose to their feet. 

“Mr. and Mrs. Bittle, I’m sorry. She’s gone.” Bitty and his mother crumpled to the window seat they’d occupied only seconds before. The two days that followed were a whirlwind that barely even registered with Bitty. A funeral, a wake, and a flight back to Samwell. 

It had been four days since he first got the phone call and once again Bitty found himself in the kitchen at the Haus, stress baking. Four dozen cookies sat in various stages of cooling, a lemon meringue pie sat on the table already missing a slice, and two loafs of bread, one cinnamon swirl, one orange cranberry, baked away in the oven. Holster followed his nose as the boys made their way in through the door of the Haus. 

“Bits?” he called. Bitty hadn’t moved from his place at the counter where he was kneading dough. “Bits, you’re home.” He hurried over, dropping his travel bag on the floor with a thump, and wrapped Bitty up in a tight hug from behind. The shorter boy turned and buried his face in his boyfriend’s chest. 

“She’s gone, she’s gone and I’ll never see her again.” Sobs shook his frame as he cried into the fabric of his worn Samwell shirt. Holster rubbed his back gently. 

“It’s alright Bits, just let it out.” When he looked up Holster could see the dark circles under Bitty’s eyes. “Bitty, when did you last rest?” The shorter blond shook his head. 

“I haven’t slept in four days.” Without hesitation Holster scooped Bitty up in his arms and started for the stairs. “Chowder, take my bread out of the oven in twelve minutes,” he called over Holster’s broad shoulders. 

“You got it Bits,” he called giving him a thumb up. The gang shared a look between them as the pair ascended the stairs. Holster carried Bitty into his room and gently set him on the bed. Carefully he removed his shoes then helped Bitty into some sweats. 

“Time for some sleep young man,” Holster said toeing off his own shoes. With a flick, the flights were out and Holster was crawling in bed with Bitty, spooning around him. “I know it’s hard baby, I know how much she means to you.” Bitty lay there quietly, all cried out. He sniffled softly and curled closer to Holster. 

“She knew, I don’t know for how long, but she knew. Said she loved me and wanted me to be happy.” Holster rubbed slow circles on his back. “Oh, and she sent a message for you.” He quirked an eyebrow. 

“Oh?”

“Yeah, she said if you ever hurt me, she’d come back from the grave and haunt your Yankee ass.” Holster laughed loudly and smiled when a soft chuckle tumbled from Bitty. 

“That is one curse I would not want to bring about.” 

“You bet your ass you don’t.” The warmth of Holster surrounded him and lulled him to sleep.


End file.
